December 1 (SeeNews) - The combined net profit of the banks operating in Bulgaria fell to 1 billion levs ($608.6 million/ 511 million euro) in the first ten months of 2017, from 1.18 billion levs in the prior-year period, the country's central bank said.
Net interest income decreased to 2.5 billion levs in January-October from 2.76 billion levs in the same period last year, while fee and commission income grew to 951.3 million levs, from 874.3 million levs, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) said in a monthly report on the performance of the country's banks published on Thursday.
The banking sector's net operating revenue fell to 3.19 billion levs in the period under review, from 3.4 billion levs in January-October 2016.
The banks' total assets decreased to 95.4 billion levs at the end of October, from 90.57 billion levs a year earlier.
Twenty-two banks and five branches of foreign banks operate in Bulgaria.
(1 euro=1.95583 levs)